The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the Arizona Department of Agriculture a cooperative agreement totaling $229,805 on January 1, 2026, to conduct exotic fruit fly surveys in Arizona through December 31, 2026, under the Cooperative Agreements with States for Surveillance, Control, and Eradication of Pests and Diseases program.
The recipient will survey approximately 12,000 acres of commercial citrus, residential areas adjacent to commercial groves, and wholesale and retail nursery and packing facilities using national and approved trapping protocols. The work includes a robust quality control program to verify survey personnel performance and timeliness. Deliverables are a determination of exotic fruit fly presence or absence in Arizona, with affirmation of absence in high-risk locations, and continued domestic and international market access for citrus fruit, melons, dates, and nursery stock. Expected outcomes include increased confidence in the absence of exotic fruit flies in high-risk areas, successful eradication of any incipient population detections, maintained market access, and satisfaction of international trade requirements.
Work is performed in Arizona. The award obligates $229,805, comprised of personnel costs of $137,898, fringe benefits of $62,055, travel of $52,608, and supplies and other costs of $2,060. No sub-recipients are identified at the time of award.